Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Gothenburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Town: $1,527 a month against $2,071 in Gothenburg, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index
98

Cost of Living Index in Gothenburg
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Gothenburg Living Index

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Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,527

/mo nomad

Gothenburg

🇸🇪 Sweden

$2,071

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cape Town and in Gothenburg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cape Town and in Gothenburg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,527 per month in Cape Town vs $2,071 in Gothenburg, rent included.

Cape Town $1,527
Gothenburg $2,071

A couple spends around $2,417 per month in Cape Town vs $3,124 in Gothenburg, rent included.

Cape Town $2,417
Gothenburg $3,124

A family of three spends $3,306 per month in Cape Town vs $4,177 in Gothenburg, rent included.

Cape Town $3,306
Gothenburg $4,177

Cape Town is about 26% cheaper than Gothenburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cape Town and Gothenburg sit above the global median – Cape Town by 13%, Gothenburg by 53%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.01 R 197

$13.68 SEK 134

-12.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.92 R 703

$89.5 SEK 875

-52.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.15 R 101

$12.22 SEK 119

-49.67%

Cappuccino

$2.37 R 38.81

$5.08 SEK 49.64

-53.35%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.27 R 20.84

$3.13 SEK 30.56

-59.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 R 15.37

$2.41 SEK 23.59

-61.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 R 48.48

$6.97 SEK 68.1

-57.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 R 60.5

$7.44 SEK 72.7

-50.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.61

$1.66 SEK 16.20

-20.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.21 R 19.75

$2.85 SEK 27.89

-57.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 R 36.05

$3.29 SEK 32.14

-33.13%

Eggs

$3.10 R 50.8

$3.99 SEK 39.04

-22.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.73 R 143

$11.61 SEK 114

-24.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.89 R 113

$11.57 SEK 113

-40.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.26 R 152

$17.35 SEK 170

-46.63%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 R 29.90

$3.14 SEK 30.65

-41.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 R 31.94

$2.54 SEK 24.85

-23.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.16

$2.99 SEK 29.26

-44.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 R 34.99

$4.38 SEK 42.77

-51.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 R 25.86

$1.79 SEK 17.53

-11.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.15

$1.65 SEK 16.13

-10.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 22.05

$2.00 SEK 19.53

-32.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 R 18.75

$1.78 SEK 17.40

-35.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.58 R 58.6

$8.82 SEK 86.2

-59.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 99.2

$15.59 SEK 152

-61.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 R 22.82

$2.15 SEK 21.06

-35.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.69

$2.31 SEK 22.61

-5.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.40 R 22.88

$3.76 SEK 36.76

-62.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.8 R 995

$86.5 SEK 846

-29.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.93 R 15.18

$6.10 SEK 59.6

-84.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.75

$1.69 SEK 16.49

-46.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 R 81.3

$60.6 SEK 593

-91.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 R 25.23

$1.79 SEK 17.47

-13.97%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$35.4K R 579.4K

$34.0K SEK 332.0K

4.11%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.4K R 546.7K

$34.3K SEK 334.7K

-2.57%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$117 R 1,918

$106 SEK 1,035

10.50%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.71 R 421

$20.04 SEK 196

28.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.41 R 646

$34.75 SEK 340

13.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 R 846

$35.18 SEK 344

46.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.35 R 186

$25.00 SEK 244

-54.60%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

$17.13 SEK 167

-48.10%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$308 R 5,040

$227 SEK 2,220

35.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,141 R 133.4K

$4,683 SEK 45.8K

73.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 R 940

$90.9 SEK 888

-36.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.75 R 520

$34.24 SEK 335

-7.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 R 1,900

$88.5 SEK 865

31.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 R 1,650

$134 SEK 1,307

-24.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,047 R 17.1K

$1,133 SEK 11.1K

-7.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 R 11.0K

$921 SEK 9,002

-27.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,861 R 30.5K

$1,921 SEK 18.8K

-3.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 23.1K

$1,406 SEK 13.7K

0.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,410 R 39.5K

$6,721 SEK 65.7K

-64.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,570 R 25.7K

$4,143 SEK 40.5K

-62.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,630 R 26.7K

$3,665 SEK 35.8K

-55.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.89

3.06

255.88%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cape Town: November 2, 2026

Last update for Gothenburg: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cape Town

$669 43.8%

Gothenburg

$921 44.5% 37.7% $252

Groceries & Markets

Cape Town

$223 14.6%

Gothenburg

$368 17.8% 65% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cape Town

$182 11.9%

Gothenburg

$161 7.8% 11.8% $21

Eating Out

Cape Town

$174 11.4%

Gothenburg

$279 13.5% 60.3% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Cape Town

$138 9%

Gothenburg

$156 7.6% 13.6% $19

Getting Around

Cape Town

$72 4.7%

Gothenburg

$116 5.6% 61.8% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Cape Town

$69 4.5%

Gothenburg

$69 3.4% 0.1% $0

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,047 in Cape Town versus $1,133 in Gothenburg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Gothenburg are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Cape Town versus $90 in Gothenburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $223 vs $368 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🇸🇪 Gothenburg

🕒 Local time

07:16 7:16 AM

06:16 6:16 AM

1 h behind Cape Town

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,740,026 Capital

607,882

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.1 USD

100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR

100 SEK = 10.23 USD

100 SEK = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 16.38 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.1 USD). 1 EUR = 18.39 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.44 EUR).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 9.77 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.97 SEK (100 SEK = 9.12 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cape Town Gothenburg 10,210 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cape Town
Gothenburg

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cape Town vs Gothenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gothenburg costs about 36% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,291 per month in Cape Town and $3,107 in Gothenburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,047 in Cape Town and $1,133 in Gothenburg. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,527 in Cape Town and $2,071 in Gothenburg. That makes Cape Town about 26% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 30% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,527 in Cape Town and $2,071 in Gothenburg. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,527 versus $2,071 in Gothenburg. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Gothenburg makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.